Jackson County Getting New Jobs

Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems announced today an expansion of its center to design and assemble unmanned aerial vehicles in Jackson County, bringing in more than 100 new jobs.

Officials broke ground about a year ago for construction of the Fire Scout for the Navy and Marine Corporation. Originally planned as a 40-employee assembly plant for the Fire Scout, the expansion announced by Northrop Grumman, will mean the facility will grow from the planned 39-thousand square feet to 100-thousand square feet. Jackson County officials and U-S Senator Trent Lott says the expansion is needed to build both the Fire Scout and the Global Hawk, used by the U-S Air Force.

The expanded facility will employ 100 to 160 people. Northrop Grumman expects construction to begin later this month and be completed during November. The plant is located at Trent Lott International Airport in Jackson County. The Fire Scout is an unmanned helicopter, capable of both surveillance and attack. The Global Hawk is a high-altitude fixed-wing reconnaissance system designed for long-range missions. (